


The Wedding Caravan of Atlantis Nesos

by boombashkas



Series: to kiss your honey-sweet eyes [4]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Arranged Marriage, Family Dinners, Family Dynamics, Fluff, Humor, Light Angst, M/M, Percy annoying his siblings, Percy's various siblings, Pining, Princes & Princesses, Sibling Bonding, Travel, frank is now part of the family, good stuff, hazel and nico are brats, jason might not appear just yet, percy wants to be frank's bff, sally jackson is the best mom, them annoying him, this will be a multichaptered fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:42:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24456133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boombashkas/pseuds/boombashkas
Summary: The wedding caravan for the prince of Atlantis was a thing of beauty.
Relationships: Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang, Jason Grace/Percy Jackson, Nico di Angelo & Hazel Levesque, Sally Jackson/Poseidon (Percy Jackson)
Series: to kiss your honey-sweet eyes [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1303346
Comments: 49
Kudos: 250





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> ok so as of now i have written almost 15k of the journey TO the wedding so i thought i might as well post it. i'm sorry but jason probably won't appear for quite a while but i thought using this kind of interval to show percy with his family without jason was important to show how he feels about having to leave them forever.  
> as i said i have a lot more already written up so i'm hoping to keep updating regularly!  
> also i have a tumblr for my fic @riflesspiral where i'm basically just ranting about this fic and posting lil tidbits from the work in progress so follow me there if you want and feel free to message me!  
> enjoy!

The wedding caravan for the prince of Atlantis was a thing of beauty. 

Its route from the Antlantean capital city of Atlantis Nesos all the way to the Olympian capital city of Mytikas had been meticulously planned months in advance, but had not been announced to the public as a precaution against bandits or rebels. Local villagers and townspeople discovered the caravan was passing through when their youngsters spotted the deep blue-green flags bearing the royal crest in the distance, fluttering in the wind, held aloft by the flag-bearers leading the whole procession.

This would always be followed by a flurry of excitement. People would close shop in the middle of the day, rush out of their homes, and halt classes or business dealings (although the farmers kept tilling their fields – the royal wedding wasn’t of quite _that_ much consequence). The whole town would quickly gather around the slowly moving caravan, pointing and waving and craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the royal family, or even better, the young prince.

It was all in vain, however. The caravan was so structured as to only allow the slightest hint of the dozen or so brilliant blue-green carriages in the centre of the wedding party. The outer rings of the caravan were composed of towering wagons draped in velvet cloth of deep blue, under which the palace staff had carefully arranged the many possessions of the Atlantean royal family, gifts for the Olympian royal family, and various wedding paraphernalia. The smaller wagons held the belongings of the palace staff and guards, tied alongside the carriages that housed the staff as they travelled. The whole procession was ringed by coaches of dark leather driven along by the palace guards, who perched on the sides and the back. Finally, they were surrounded by soldiers on foot, marching in time with the clip-clops of the horses, armed with polished weapons of every kind. The captains kept a keen eye on their surroundings and an even keener one on their subordinates, who stayed in formation but still managed to nod their heads at the spectators and wink at the wide-eyed children.

But the carriage that every eye would squint to see was in the depths of the procession. Prince Percy’s wedding carriage rode in the very heart of the caravan, circled by the larger and more ostentatious carriages of his family. It was affixed to two horses, one black and one white, one belonging to Percy and the other a common horse from the stables, as was tradition. The wedding carriage itself was simple and delicately built, the same gentle seafoam green as the jewel that sat at the point of his mother’s crown. It was edged in gold along its roof and rails, its doors and windows, and even its mounting steps. The wheels were large and made of the palest birch, the spokes edged in gold and curving into each other, bursting into a jade green flower in the center. The cabin of the carriage itself was modest, with a high but sloping roof that dipped down gently into a teardrop of a compartment. The doors boasted the royal family crest, and the windows were large and covered with unadorned pale mint-colored curtains.

The wedding carriage had been passed down through the generations, and was always well-maintained even if it was not in use, as it was as fragile as it looked. This was one of the main reasons, besides tradition, that the wedding carriage always travelled in the middle of the whole caravan: it was less likely to break when travelling over land the carriages in front of it had trampled flat; any slight problem could be quickly spotted and repaired; and physical threats to the royal family were likely to be subdued by the time they reached the center.

It was like a gem, well-protected, often admired. As the caravan set off from one Atlantean town to the next, closer and closer to the border, the excited buzz around it grew louder and louder. And Prince Percy’s wedding carriage sailed on in the middle, like a single point of calm in the turbulent sea.


	2. Chapter 2

Percy had only been a little boy when his eldest sibling Crown Prince Triton had married Lady Libia of Thera. He remembered how Triton had secretly allowed Percy to ride with him in the carriage for a few hours one day, only letting him out when Percy’s nannies had started to worry he had disappeared. From then on, the carriage would be prepared every few years when another one of his siblings was getting married, and he made it a personal tradition to journey in it at least a few hours during each trip.

No one but the betrothed was allowed to ride in the carriage for extended periods of time, so Percy had been breaking the rules each time. But he wasn’t anymore.

He settled back into the plush cushions and gazed outside through an opening in the curtains at the clip-clopping hooves and the passing wheels kicking up dirt behind them. In the distance, he could see the servants walking alongside their own wagons or hanging off of them, talking and laughing. Close by, Percy’s brother Antaeus had forgotten to draw the curtains of his carriage, and his and his wife’s bickering carried on the wind to the rest of the inner circle.

It had been two weeks since they had set off from his home, and they had not yet reached the border to Olympus. They had never travelled this particular route before. It would have been an opportunity for Percy to explore, to meet the people his parents ruled over. 

But the rules on decorum had become stricter and stricter as the wedding day approached. There was a time when no one looked Percy’s way twice, and he could run around all day creating whatever mischief struck his fancy. Now, he was watched like a hawk.

“We’re only trying to protect you,” is what his mother told him, followed quickly by his father retelling him for the thousandth time the tale of his ancestor Prince Lacedaemon who was stabbed by a commoner during his own wedding trip a hundred odd years ago.

Percy liked to think himself capable enough to spot an advancing blade and deflect it without help from any guards, but then he considered the possibility that he might never see Jason again, and so he avoided the risk. For all he knew, Prince Lacedaemon might have been an accomplished swordfighter himself. (There was not much information to be found about Prince Lacedaemon on account of the whole, well, dying part.)

Despite this, however, he was determined not to harbor any kind of ill will against his own people. The way they cheered loud enough that he heard them all the way in his carriage, the way they hoisted their children up on their shoulders so they could catch a glimpse of him, the way they rushed to hold his hand when he ‘happened’ to walk by during one of the caravan’s resting periods – all of it proved their love for him. And he was determined to show them that same kind of love back.

“I won’t forget Atlantis,” he said every night before sleeping. “I will love Jason with my whole heart, and I will love Atlantis the same way.”

Somehow, he was always surprised him how much it hurt when he realized he was leaving. His eyes pricked painfully and he would have to pretend it was just dust in his eyes.

When the caravan stopped for a break at the shore of a lake two weeks into the journey, Percy had barely exited his carriage and stretched his stiff muscles when his favorite sister came waddling up to him, hands outstretched.

“Look! It’s a _princess_!” Percy cried, then hooked his hands underneath her arms and twirled baby Estelle in the air. She squealed in happiness, plump arms outstretched like she was flying.

The youngest princess was only three years old but already had the whole kingdom wrapped around her little finger. She was particularly close to Percy, accompanied him throughout the day even if he had a busy schedule, and was often found napping in his room instead of her nursery. Percy’s best memories in recent years were of riding out to the open grounds of the palace, Estelle propped up against his stomach, her chubby fingers closed tight on Blackjack’s reins. They would picnic at the beachside, or play underneath the family orchards, or just sit on the grass watching the sunset while Percy bundled her up into his lap and told her the same stories and fairy tales his mother used to tell him every night before bed when he was young.

Whenever they returned home from their adventures, Percy would be reprimanded by Estelle’s tutors for stealing her away when she should be focusing on her lessons, but Percy didn’t pay them any mind. They weren’t the ones who were going away forever.

He brought Estelle down into a hug and buried his face in her curls. She smelled like warm milk. 

“Perthy!” she shouted in his ear. “Let’s go in!”

“In?” 

“In there!” She pushed her body against his shoulder and reached for the door to his carriage with a dimpled hand. “Inside!”

“You want to go into my carriage?” Percy gasped. “Why I never, Your Highness. You know that’s not allowed.”

He bumped his nose into her tiny button one, and she giggled in delight. “Let’s _break_ the rules!” she cried, waving her arms in the air, trusting him implicitly to not drop her.

Percy laughed. It was a phrase he had inadvertently taught her over the past few months, something her tutors did not approve of. “As you wish,” he said, bowing his head low and burrowing his hair into her face, making her squeal.

The interior of the wedding carriage was surprisingly not as lavish as the other family carriages, which had expansive sleeping areas and dining benches and writing desks. But Estelle didn’t seem to mind; she scrubbed her face against the blue velvet walls and jumped excitedly from cushion to downy cushion. Percy dutifully fulfilled his role of a devoted fanatic, calling out encouragements like “Look at Princess Stella go!” and “She puts the greatest acrobats to _shame_!” and “A beautiful twirly move!” and “She should be a little careful with that landing, though, we wouldn’t want a sprained ankle…”

For her finale, Estelle jumped into Percy’s arms, crashing them both down into the quilts that made up Percy’s bed. They rolled around in the cushions, laughing.

“Well,” Percy said as he lay on his back when they had finally stopped playing. “That must have tired you out, right, little Stella?”

“Nuh-uh,” Estelle stated firmly. She sat on his chest, short legs dangling, and although she was red in the face and her curls were tangled (he was going to hear about that later) she didn’t seem to have spent any of the infinite energy that toddlers always seemed to have.

“You hungry?” Percy stretched out to the opposite side of the carriage and popped open a cabinet. He pulled out an orange – Estelle’s favorite – and she squealed in delight as he started peeling it for her.

They both ate it together, Estelle dripping juice all over his clothes. Percy didn’t mind; she had been successfully distracted, after all. Once she started playing, she never stopped, and unfortunately, Percy didn’t have the stamina to keep up. 

“Perthy,” she said, as they finished off their orange and Percy pulled out another one, “Where’re we going?”

She asked him this question at least three times every day, and Percy was sure she asked other people the very same thing too, just so she could hear the answer. “To see Prince Jason,” he said, and she jumped in excitement the way she always did (although it was a little unpleasant this time, with her sitting on his chest).

“Pri-i-ince Jason!” she shouted as she jumped, lifting her mashed orange slice triumphantly in the air. “We’re going to see him! We’re going to _play_ wi’ him!”

“That’s right. Hey, Stella, say ‘Percy’.”

“Perthy,” she said, grinning toothily.

He sighed. She had grown out of her lisp almost a year ago, but she still said his name the same way. “You’re too cute and you know it,” he said, pinching her nose and making her giggle.

“Can I come see you, Perthy?” she said, “When you go?”

Percy’s heart clenched. “Of course you can, Ellie belly. Whenever you want.”

Percy wasn’t going to burden her with the knowledge that they might not see each other for months on end. He knew that, as a member of the Olympian family, he would be receiving Atlantean delegations and dignitaries all the time, owing to the two countries’ friendly relations, but he doubted any one of those meetings would include his family members, and certainly not a young child like Estelle. His older siblings had married both local Atlanteans and foreign nobles, which meant that only five of his siblings – including Tyson, Estelle and, of course, Triton – and their families lived in the Atlantean palace year-round, and absolutely none lived in Olympus. There was no need for any of them to arrange a trip all the way to Olympus just so Percy could meet his younger siblings. If any of them did come to visit, it would probably be the eldest ones and only for negotiations that Percy’s father would have allowed them to oversee.

As for Percy visiting Atlantis, that was even less likely. He would become a member of the Olympian royal family, the husband of their only son. He would be expected to stay in Olympus and stand by their side, if no more reason than to be a symbol of Atlatean-Olympian ties.

It was something that had distressed Percy more and more. At least Tyson had grown up enough to have memories of his childhood with Percy for the rest of his life. But Estelle was too young. She would remember none of this when she got older. She would only know him as a familiar stranger, someone who she saw once or twice a year and who always got on her nerves with talks of them playing together when she was little.

Percy still remembered when he had been very young, and his second-eldest brother Antaeus and his wife had decided to relocate to the palace after spending years in his wife’s native city. Percy had been wary of the excessively friendly outsider for months.

He didn’t want Estelle to look at him the same way. But it was an inevitable thing.

There was a knock on his door, and then a head peeking through his window. He sighed and sat up, steadying the still-munching child in his lap. “What is the point of knocking,” he called, “if you’re just going to snoop through my windows anyway?”

Percy’s sister Kymopoleia wrenched open his door and stood there with her hands on her hips. “You know you’re not supposed to have Estelle in here,” she said.

“There’s oranges,” Estelle proclaimed.

“Come along, sweetheart,” Kym said, holding out a hand. “Miss Eumelia is looking for you everywhere.”

Without a single complaint, Estelle clambered to her feet and started running sticky hands down her dress to smooth it down. Percy’s parents always talked about what a headstrong child he had been – a nice word for disobedient – but Estelle was the easiest baby in the world. 

“Bye, Perthy,” she called as she climbed down the carriage on all fours (something she always got reprimanded for by her nannies, but neither Percy nor Kym said anything).

“Make sure you drop her off with her nurses,” Percy told Kym, propping himself up on his elbows. “Don’t just leave her anywhere.”

“I’m not an idiot, Percy,” Kym said. She started to go, then hesitated. “Do you need anything?”

“No, I have plenty of food.”

“No, I mean –“ she bit her lip. “If you want to talk to any of us…”

Percy smiled. All of her siblings had become nicer as the wedding drew nearer, but Kym had become almost loving, an idea they both would have undoubtedly gagged at only a few months ago.

“Don’t worry,” he said, “I’ll let you know if I want company.”

She nodded. “I have nothing else to do, so feel free.” She looked down at Estelle. “Come on, darling, let’s get you back.”

“Bye-bye, Perthy!” Estelle waved.

Percy waved back and sent her kisses, making her giggle. Kym took Estelle’s hand and closed the door of his carriage shut, leading the little girl away. 

Percy was alone once again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> main blog @boombashkas  
> fic blog @riflesspiral


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry for the long wait, and the short chapter! i'll hopefully have the next one up sooner. hope you guys like it!

Later that evening, when Percy joined his parents in their carriage for dinner, they apprised him of their progress. 

“We’re only a few days’ journey from the Fort of Periclymenus,” his father told him. “We’ll spend the night there, then the next day Commander Zhang will escort us over the border proper until we reach the Olympian town of Pieris.”

Percy grinned in excitement. He knew of Commander Frank Zhang, the son of the Captain of the Olympian Royal Guard, who had created quite an uproar when he had decided to eschew his legacy as the next captain and move to the Empire of Hades to be with Crown Princess Hazel. He now resided in the empire, but had returned to his family’s Fort at the Atlantean-Olympian border to accompany Percy and his family into Olympus. The Hadean royal family – whichever of them were attending the wedding – would follow and meet him at the palace in Mytikas in time for the wedding later on.

Although Percy considered himself quite close to both the crown prince and princess of the empire, he had only met Commander Zhang once or twice, and not at all in the past five years. The last time Princess Hazel had written to him, she had told him of how Commander Zhang had changed – “He would tower even over your Prince Jason,” she had been rude enough to say – and Percy remembered how kind he had always been to Percy whenever they had met, so he was looking forward to seeing him again.

He would take the opportunity of a night at the fort to write to both Princess Hazel and Prince Nico with every detail of his new friendship with Commander Zhang. Of course, he would first have to strike up a new friendship with him, but he just knew the two of them would become the closest of friends. (And the fact that this would get on Prince Nico’s nerves was just an additional benefit.)

“After that,” his father continued, “We will be joined by an Olympian escort until we reach the palace.”

Percy’s heartbeat sped up. “And how long will that be?”

“A little more than a week of travel.” His father took a sip of water. “We will have to slow down when we travel through the more populated areas and, of course, when we reach the palace city.”

Percy put down his spoon and took a deep breath. Across the table, his parents shared a glance and his mother reached for his hand. “It’s normal to be nervous, darling,” she said. “But we will be here for you, every step of the way.”

“Without fail,” his father agreed. “Although, I would have thought you’d be eager to see the young prince.”

And he was. When he wasn’t thinking of his family, he was thinking of Jason. He had dreamed of him every night for weeks, and been frustrated in the mornings when he hadn’t woken up next to him. He had stared at the sky and seen Jason’s eyes, looked at fields of wheat and seen Jason’s hair, run his fingers over silk tunics and felt Jason’s skin. He had even found himself composing poems in his head and singing when he was alone. It was as if his whole life had become a tribute to Jason’s, one that compelled him to do things he had never done before so as to ease the ache in his heart, if only for just a little while. 

But that was when he wasn’t thinking of his family.

He hadn’t even needed to say anything. His mother saw his face and quickly drew him into his arms. “I will miss you too,” she consoled him, “like the air in my very lungs.”

“It’s alright,” his father said gruffly as he stroked Percy’s head. “You can write to us whenever you want.”

“And we’ll come visit you,” his mother added.

There was a pause. “Well,” his father said, “I don’t know about that.”

Percy laughed and lifted his head. He didn’t need to wipe his eyes but it was a close thing. “I’m just feeling a little emotional these days. I’m okay, don’t worry.”

His mother put a hand to his cheek, a sad frown on her lips. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, definitely.” He smiled at them both. “Once I’m there, I’ll be so happy with Jason, I won’t ever want to come back. You’ll have to focus all your attention on torturing Tyson with talks of marriage next.”

Neither of them laughed. His mother kissed his forehead. “There will only ever be one Percy,” she said. 

“Alright, so no one gets tortured but me,” he joked. “Understood.”

To his surprise, his father sniffled. “Children can be so troublesome, each in their own way,” he said to them as they looked at him with wide eyes, “And then one day, you realize trouble is what you always wanted, and trouble is what you will always miss.” He shifted forward and pulled Percy into a spine-crushing hug.

Later, when Percy left his parents’ carriage, they were all trying to discreetly wipe away their tears. Percy kissed both their cheeks, then both their hands, and returned back to his own carriage for the night.

The windows of his wedding carriage were large enough for him to stargaze as he lay in bed. The lump in his throat had lessened, but it was still there. He had spent every night of the journey eating with his parents and siblings in turn, and had noticed his parents were not their usual selves, but he had assumed it was because of the weariness caused by travelling. It felt good to know his parents were as affected as he was but, at the same time, it hurt him to know they were in pain. 

He hoped that by the time the wedding week was through and he was married, his parents would forget all their sorrow and instead think about how happy Percy was. 

And Percy would be, he knew it. Whatever fears he had would all be forgotten when he laid eyes on Jason. He knew this from experience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the upcoming chapters are going to be more upbeat for a change of pace. plus we're going to see FRANK   
> leave a comment! thanks for reading
> 
> main blog @boombashkas  
> fic blog @riflesspiral


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the wait. my sister got married and is moving to the other side of the country. so this fic has suddenly become a 1000000000% more relevant to me in real life too.  
> anyway, FRANK!  
> enjoy!

They reached the Fort of Periclymenus ahead of schedule. So ahead of schedule, in fact, that his parents and their guards were discussing only stopping in the Fort for a meal and heading out again immediately after.

Thankfully, Percy’s younger nieces and nephews almost mutinied when they heard they might not get to sleep on actual beds that night or explore the grounds of the Fort the next morning, and so Percy’s parents decided it was best for everyone to get a good nights’ sleep before continuing the journey.

Percy’s mood had improved since that night he and his parents are cried together, and it positively soared when he peeked out of his carriage and saw, in the distance, a group of soldiers and servants awaiting their arrival at the foot of the Fort with one man in particular standing in front of the rest.

It took a painfully long time for his whole family to disembark from their carriages. By the time Percy was allowed to walk up and stand next to his parents, he was practically jumping with excitement.

Princess Hazel had been right; Commander Zhang was, for lack of a better word, _large_. Percy couldn’t believe he was a full year younger than Percy. He was built like a bear, but with the kindest face of any person Percy had ever met (except one). He was wearing the dark-colored soldier’s uniform with the Olympian crest on one bicep and the Empire of Hades crest on the other. It was a curious sight to see.

Commander Zhang bowed his head to Percy and his family. His hair was cut so short Percy could see glimpses of his scalp underneath. 

“Your Majesties,” Commander Zhang said, and his voice was softer than Percy had expected. “It is my greatest honor to receive you in my family’s fort. I have spared no expense in the preparations for your arrival. I hope everything will be to your liking.”

“Our greatest thanks, Commander.” Percy’s father stepped forward and grasped the commander’s outstretched hand with both of his own. “We appreciate your and your team’s effort.” He nodded at the servants, who looked startled that the king had acknowledged them, but quickly recovered and bowed their heads back at him. 

“We are all eager to get settled in,” Percy’s father continued, “particularly my grandchildren.”

He raised an eyebrow at the youngest of the children, who all giggled and ducked their heads when Commander Zhang smiled down at them.

“Of course. If you will follow me, Your Majesty.”

Percy and his mob of a family followed the commander through the arched entrance of the fort, then through a pair of large double doors into the fort’s atrium. The fort was simple, only consisting of bare stone floors and walls, archways, mounted torches, and a plain rug here or there. The walls in the back of the atrium boasted large paintings of people who were presumably the commander’s ancestors, and the center of the room was occupied by a long mahogany table with an elaborate candelabra centerpiece that almost looked out of place in the austere hall.

Commander Zhang walked in tandem with Percy’s parents and Triton and his wife. Percy tried to push forward but the space directly behind Commander Zhang was occupied by a gaggle of starstruck little princes and princesses.

“The rooms are through those corridors,” Commander Zhang announced, pointing to the back of the atrium, where there were two heavily curtained archways. “We tried to give you the best chambers, Your Majesties,” he added to Percy’s parents, “so I’m afraid they are split between the two wings of the fort.”

“That’s perfectly alright, Commander,” Percy’s mother said. “Thank you for the consideration.”

“Our servants will lead you all to your rooms,” Commander Zhang nodded to the servants, who immediately moved to Percy’s parents and each one of his siblings. “I can have dinner delivered to you if you would like.”

“We would love to dine with you, if we could?” Percy’s mother said.

“Of course!” Commander Zhang’s smile widened. Percy could understand why Princess Hazel liked him so much. “I was hoping that would be the case. Then shall we all gather here in an hour’s time?”

“Wonderful,” Percy’s father smiled.

“And, if you don’t mind, Commander,” Percy’s mother added, “The children would love to explore the premises – if it’s acceptable to you and your staff, of course.”

“Yes, certainly,” the commander smiled down at the children. “This fort has been sitting dull for so long. We would be nothing but honored if Your Highnesses thought it worthy of their attention.”

Percy’s nephews and nieces all looked at Commander Zhang like he had hung the stars in the sky. Percy couldn’t wait to write about this to Princess Hazel.

His family slowly started dispersing to their rooms, with servants toting their luggage behind them. His siblings and their families would all stay in their own rooms, of course, and Tyson and Estelle would be staying with his parents, which meant Percy would have his own quarters all to himself.

However, none of the servants stopped by him. Percy waited in the middle of the hall as the rest of his family was slowly led away, until it was just him.

He looked around, frowning, to see Commander Zhang smiling at him. “If you don’t mind, Your Highness,” he said, “I thought I could have the pleasure of showing you to your rooms myself.”

Percy blinked, and then a delighted smile broke out on his face. “Of course!” he beamed. “Lead the way, Commander.”

“Please, call me Frank,” the commander said. “This way.”

“Frank.” Percy fell into step with him as they ducked underneath a curtain into another corridor. “Then you must call me Percy.”

Frank looked caught off-guard for a second, but then laughed. “I remember how modest Your Highness has always been. Thank you for allowing me the privilege.”

Percy grinned. “If you’re calling me by my name, you’re definitely not addressing me like that, either.”

Frank’s step faltered. “But – it’s proper.”

“I don’t particularly care for proper.” Percy threw him a look. “And I have a feeling you don’t either.”

There was a pause, and then the commander looked at him with twinkling eyes. “You are exactly as Prince Jason had described.”

“Oh, no, I’m ten times as worse,” Percy said, and this made Frank laugh again. A couple of passing servants glanced over in surprise.

“I see,” Frank said, grinning. “You must get along well with Princess Hazel and Prince Nico, then. They are the both of them a pair of absolute demons.”

This surprised a laugh out of Percy. He didn’t think anyone lower-ranking than him – other than possibly his friends Annabeth and Grover – had ever indirectly poked fun at him this way. It was usually always members of his family or members of other royal families.

His siblings would have had Frank’s head. But Frank didn’t look worried.

“I can see why they decided to keep you in the empire,” Percy said as they rounded a corner. 

“It was not only their choice,” Frank flashed him a smile. “I insisted.”

“Yes, I heard. Prince Nico is as gossipy as they come.”

“Truer words,” Frank said, making Percy choke. “He has told me stories of his friendship with you and his friendship with His Highness Prince Jason and, if you will forgive me, many stories of the two of you together as well.”

The utter disregard for propriety made Percy want to howl with laughter. “How shameless of him,” Percy said. “Does this count as slander? I’m sure we have a law that will let us throw him in the dungeons for defaming the prince.”

“You could try, but I’m not sure Prince Nico will let you.”

“He doesn’t need to. My fifteen-year-old niece is bigger than him. We can just drag him away.”

“Size has nothing to do with power,” Frank said solemnly. “I am the largest out of all three of us and I have never been able to get a word in edgewise.”

Percy didn’t stop smiling all the way to his rooms. Frank was as drily funny as Princess Hazel had always said, the kind of humor Percy adored. When Frank had familiarized Percy with his rooms and was about to leave, Percy said, “I know you don’t live in Olympus anymore, but I would still love if the two of us could be friends.”

Despite the incredibly entertaining conversation they had just had, Frank actually looked surprised. “You want to be friends with me?”

“Of course! And if you like, whenever you come visit in the future, you could stay with us for a few days and we could all go out riding together – the two of us and Prince Jason.”

An astonished smile slowly spread on Frank’s face. “Then I certainly will,” he nodded. “Far be it from me to refuse an invitation from two princes.”

“Not two princes.” Percy grasped his hand. “Two friends.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i swear i didnt mean to make this sound like frank's got it going on with both hazel and nico lmfao. oh well.  
> please comment and kudos if you liked it!
> 
> main blog @boombashkas  
> fic blog @riflesspiral


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> literally thought i already updated. sorry about that!  
> enjoy!

Percy’s nephews and nieces dined with them, which made dinner a boisterous affair. Frank looked slightly overwhelmed by the children shouting and laughing, but he didn’t seem irritated, so Percy didn’t try to quiet anyone down. As for the adults, they all enjoyed the opportunity to eat together after so long. Percy’s father spent the entire dinner regaling Frank with stories about his children. For his part, Frank seemed to effortlessly strike up a conversation with each one of Percy’s siblings over one point of commonality or another.

Frank had offered Percy’s father the seat at the head of the table, but he had refused to appropriate Frank’s rightful chair in his own fort and took the seats at the direct right and left. Percy sat next to his mother and made sure to entertain his new friend by inserting his own comments in the middle of his father’s stories.

When they started on dessert, Bellerophon’s wife Philonoe leaned forward and asked Frank how it felt to return to Olympus after so long.

“It’s definitely a strange feeling,” Frank said, wiping his mouth. “It’s only been eleven months since my last visit, but it seems longer and shorter at the same time. But I’m happy to see old friends again and to see my childhood home.”

“And to enjoy the wedding, I hope,” Percy said, raising an eyebrow.

Frank grinned at him. “It goes without saying.”

“It must be difficult to be away from home for so long,” Percy’s mother said sympathetically.

“Sometimes,” Frank agreed. “But I consider the empire my home as well. Home in a different way than Olympus, but still home.”

“In fact,” Percy’s father said, slapping a hand on Frank’s sturdy shoulder, “Commander Zhang’s ancestry is part Atlantean as well.”

“Really?” Percy asked. There were surprised faces all around the table.

Frank smiled almost shyly. “My ancestor Periclymenus, who built this fort, was Atlantean. From my mother’s bloodline.”

“And from mine,” Percy’s father added.

“Captain Zhang is part Atlantean?” Hyrieus’s husband Klonios said in amazement.

“It is a great honor,” Percy’s father said, grasping Frank’s shoulder again.

“Is that why you speak Atlantean so well?” Percy asked.

“Does that mean you’re our uncle?” Tyson talked over Percy from further down the table, leaning forward to catch Frank’s eye.

Frank laughed. “I’m not sure, Your Highness. Forgive me,” he said to Percy’s father, “but I’m afraid I don’t know exactly how my ancestor was related to yours.”

Percy’s father waved his hand. “Some distant cousin.”

“But full-blooded Atlantean, yes?” Triton asked.

“Yes,” Frank confirmed. “So, in a way, you may say I am from all three of the great kingdoms of our time.”

He said it with a smile that was endearing in its pride, and Percy couldn’t help but smile too. “Incredible,” he said. “I don’t think there are many people who can say that.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure,” Triton said from across Percy. “There are many marriages between our nations these days. The cultural divide is disappearing.”

“I would credit that to the upcoming wedding,” Frank said to Percy. “It has inspired people.”

“Mainly, people find it dreadfully romantic,” Charybdis said, rolling her eyes. “They seem to forget it was determined since birth.”

“That doesn’t make it any _less_ romantic,” Kym said.

“Can we please,” Percy interrupted, “not talk about how romantic or unromantic it is?”

“Percy gets antsy if we talk about him and Prince Jason,” Bellerophon said to Frank in an undertone, grinning all the while. “It makes him nervous.”

“I can _hear_ you, you know,” Percy said through gritted teeth.

“That’s perfectly alright,” Frank gave Percy an easy smile. “I understand how difficult it can be to listen to people talk about your romantic life right in front of you, even if they mean no harm by it.”

Percy and his siblings looked at each other. “Well,” Kym said, smiling slyly. “We weren’t going to bring it up, but now that you mention it –“

“Kymopoleia,” Percy’s father warned.

“Did you not hear what he _just_ said?” Hyrieus said incredulously.

Kym raised her hands in defense. “I only want _clarification_ –“

“Maybe you could _want_ to think before you speak instead?” Percy said.

“Rich coming from you,” Chrysaor muttered.

“Now, children –“ Percy’s mother started.

“Forgive us,” Triton’s wife Libia said to Frank desperately. “Our family is very –“

Percy pinched the skin at the back of Chrysaor’s hand and _twisted._ His brother let out an undignified screech.

“– plain-spoken,” Triton’s wife finished.

The table exploded into noise: Chrysaor cursing loudly at Percy, his wife Calirrhoe cradling his hand and glaring at Percy from the corner of her eye; Kym taking the opportunity to shout her question about Princess Hazel at Frank from down the table; Tyson calling out, “Dad, what does _‘clandestine love’_ mean?”; and Percy’s father and Triton trying to shut everyone up while the rest of them burst into laughter.

Percy’s mother looked at Frank with a fond smile on her face. “You learn to love it,” she said, patting his shoulder.

Frank’s eyes were bright with laughter. “I already do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> frank is baby i love him  
> let me know if you guys liked this! also THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR COMMENTS THEY MAKE ME SO HAPPY
> 
> main tumblr @boombashkas  
> fic tumblr @riflesspiral


	6. Chapter 6

They left for the border town of Pieris the next dawn. It was only a day’s ride, Frank told Percy and his family, so they would be staying the night in lodgings prepared for them in the outskirts of the town. Then, the next day, a convoy from Mytikas would arrive to escort Percy and his family onward, while Frank and his soldiers would return to the Fort.

Percy knew he would miss Frank when he was gone, so he made sure to spend his time with him during breaks to stretch their legs. He would have invited Frank to his carriage, but he could already hear the wildfire of gossip _that_ would ignite. 

The area they were travelling through was no man’s land at the southern-most tip of the Atlantean-Olympian border. It was dry and populated by thin vegetation and even thinner animals. Although the weather had been mild so far into their journey, this particular day was unusually hot for a harvest month. Percy’s brother Sciron had sweated through his clothes twice, and even the children didn’t feel up to playing outside. Percy himself had forgone all his outer clothes, which some of his brothers thought was the most scandalous thing in the world. Percy could only roll his eyes at them. Really, wearing a thin shirt in public was the _least_ shocking thing Percy had done in the past three months alone.

“The advantage of a cold-weather country,” Frank said to Percy, “is that the summers are pleasant.”

“And the winters anything but?” Percy raised an eyebrow.

Frank grinned. “Exactly.”

The caravan had stopped next to a well and a scattered grove of trees, and everyone was taking the chance to sit underneath the shade of the trees and pass around the cool water of the well. Percy’s toddler nephews and nieces ran around shirtless – some even pantless – as their red-faced minders chased after them with their miniature clothes clutched in their hands. 

Frank was wearing comfortable riding clothes this morning; he would be on horseback the entire day’s journey. He and Percy were walking among the trees a little ways away from Percy’s family so they could talk in peace. 

“So if your mother has been Captain of the Royal Guard since before you were born,” Percy said to Frank. “You must have known the prince and princess all your life. Are you close with Prince Jason?”

“I’m not sure if ‘close’ is how any of us would describe it,” he said, ducking to avoid the branches of a tree. “He and the princess were always busy with lessons or social calls, and besides that, he seemed to keep to himself. Not that I can blame him – I was quite a shy child myself. It’s not that we didn’t have a friendship, only a distant one.”

Percy frowned. “And Princess Thalia?”

“The restrictions placed on her were even tighter. As we’ve grown older, the two of them have become friendlier towards me, and Prince Jason and I have even kept up a regular correspondence ever since I moved to the empire, but when we were children…” Frank shrugged. “It was difficult with all the chaperones and tutors hovering around.”

Percy pursed his lips. “I see.”

They watched two of Percy’s nieces roll over each other as they wrestled for a fruit. Percy’s youngest nephew stood over them, trying to kick them in the ribs with his little booted feet.

“You must understand, Prince Percy,” Frank continued, “not every royal family is like yours. There are more rules than one could ever possibly follow.”

“Or break,” Percy said.

Frank laughed, but the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’m sure I don’t explain to you the carefully controlled life of an heir apparent to the throne. There is no childhood, only instruction. You will rarely ever find royalty as carefree as you or your siblings or their children.”

“There are so many of us,” Percy said. “We are safe in the knowledge that we will never need to lead.”

“Yes. And you yourself must have noticed how their birthright is already weighing on each successor, even if it seems to be years in the future.”

Percy knew what he meant. When he had been a little child, he had always signaled Triton out from of all of his siblings as being particularly boring, so much and so often that now he felt sorry towards him for it. As he had grown older, he had realized that Triton’s somberness and irritability and, yes, even his arrogance were all borne out of being the crown prince. Percy remembered quite clearly the times Triton would joke around with the rest of them and would be immediately reprimanded by either his various tutors or their father. Percy’s brother Antaeus, who was next in line after Triton and his daughters, was almost the same. Even Triton’s eldest daughter Pallas, who would one day be Queen, was following in her father’s footsteps.

For Percy, learning of the concept of monarchy was the same as realizing how lucky he was – not for being a prince but for not being the _crown_ prince. As it now stood, Percy was thirty-first in line to the throne. Barring a catastrophe of epic proportions, he would never be burdened with the crown. 

And his parents knew that, which was why they had always been so lenient towards him in every matter, why they were always so quick to forgive him for his misbehavior as child. He had never been allowed to miss his lessons, but then, he was also never expected to score perfectly on his examinations or assignments. The only expectations his parents had from him were in his sword-fighting lessons because Percy took them so seriously himself. People always admired how high-spirited and outspoken he was, but that was only because he was allowed to be. 

And it was obvious that, just like Triton, Crown Princess Thalia had never been allowed that privilege. And neither was Jason. Since Princess Thalia had no children yet, and none planned in the foreseeable future, Jason could still very well end up with the title of king.

It made Percy shudder to think about.

“Princess Hazel isn’t like that, though,” Frank continued, his eyes softening. “She had two older siblings, so she never thought she would have to take command. But such circumstances arose…” He stared off into the distance with a sad tilt to his lips.

“But from what I’ve heard,” Percy said, “she’s quite happy with the decision to share the throne with Prince Nico.”

Frank’s expression shifted. “Yes, she is,” he said, relaxing. “It was a joint decision, and their parents are exceptionally supportive. Even though their advisors say two rulers at the same time would never work, I believe _these_ two rulers can do it.”

“I have no doubt.”

They smiled at each other, and then Frank surprised Percy by putting a hand on his shoulder. “You may tell me if I’m overstepping bounds, Prince Percy,” he said softly, “but I’m glad Prince Jason will have you. I’ve seen him go through many hardships during our childhood years, and King Zeus and Queen Hera are…” he glanced away, “…unlike your parents. I think having someone like you – someone who is royalty like them, but so different – will show them a new way of being. A gentler way, maybe.”

Percy swallowed at the growing lump in his throat. “I don’t know if anyone’s ever called me gentle before,” he said, trying to laugh it off. “‘Disruptive’ is usually what they go for.”

“There are different kinds of being gentle,” Frank said, still smiling softly. “It’s alright to not be all of them at once.”

Percy studied him. Frank waited patiently.

Finally, Percy smiled. “Princess Hazel didn’t tell me you were a philosopher. I feel like I should have been warned.”

Frank laughed. “Warning you would be quite unlike her,” he confessed, eyes twinkling. “She likes the concept of ambushing people much more.”

Percy raised an eyebrow. “I can see why you two are a good match, then.”

They returned to the caravan, still laughing and joking, Percy’s personal security watching Frank skeptically every time he clapped Percy on the back in the middle of a burst of laughter. Ten minutes later, Percy was packed up in his carriage, and they continued the journey with Frank leading the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> frank: is nice to percy  
> percy: oh fuck i have a crush on him  
> seriously tho i didnt even realize i wrote it like that lmao. where are all these new ships coming from.  
> anyway, comment and kudos if you liked it! see you next time
> 
> main tumblr @boombashkas  
> fic tumblr @ riflesspiral


	7. Chapter 7

Frank had been right. Although they had left the Fort at dawn, it was almost dawn again when they reached the town of Pieris. The lateness of the hour and the fact that Percy had been told the town had a small populace had Percy expecting there would be no reception for them.

What they found at their destination, however, were the people of Pieris gathered at the town’s edge, holding aloft lanterns and flowers, singing to the melody of a low flute. When their caravan drew near, they tossed their flowers as close to Percy’s family’s carriages as they could get. Most of the flowers landed on the guards and the servants’ wagons, but they picked up the flowers and sniffed at the petals with smiles on their tired faces, so Percy didn’t think it was much of a loss.

Grinning, he drew his curtains back and waved an arm out to get his parents’ attention. Triton spotted him from his carriage. “No, Percy,” he called. “It’s dangerous.”

Percy knew that. But he didn’t want to live in fear, not when there were people like this to love.

He shoved his torso out of the window and stretched his arms up into the sky, hoping the townspeople could see them above the riders surrounding them. The light from the lanterns caught on the gold bracelets around Percy’s wrists, and the crowd erupted into cheers.

When the caravan finally stopped next to what looked like the largest house in the whole town, Percy descended his carriage with a skip in his step. Triton and his father gave him twin disapproving looks. “Percy, dear,” his mother started, but most of his siblings were stifling their laughter behind their hands and imitating the mad grin on Percy’s face as he had wildly waved at the townspeople. 

“Hello, everyone!” Kym said in a deep voice that sounded more like their great-uncle Kottos with a bad cold than Percy. “My name’s Percy and I _lo-o-ove_ attention!” She waved her hands floppily around and pulled a ridiculous face, making Tyson laugh so hard he choked on his own spit.

The town governor, a bright-faced young woman by the name of Adrasteia, had arranged the home of the wealthiest family in town as a stop-over for the travelling party, by order of the King Zeus and Queen Hera. Percy made her acquaintance, and then warmly greeted the family who had been kind enough to let strangers push them out of their own home for one night, even if those strangers _were_ royalty. All the while, he kept an attentive eye on the crowd of onlookers still milling about. He would flash them a smile every now and then, and they would gasp and talk and laugh amongst themselves and hoist their children up over their shoulders. Percy could spot a few young children hiding behind their parents’ legs, clutching bright yellow desert flowers and looking up at Percy as if trying to get up the courage to offer him one.

The governor started leading them into the house, which was a chore in and of itself. Percy waved and smiled at the crowd as he was dragged inside by his elbow.

“Our people have been anticipating your arrival for months, Your Highness,” Governor Adrasteia said to Percy with a genial smile. “I’m afraid we don’t have the resources for a proper celebration, but our breakfast tomorrow has been carefully planned and prepared by the best cooks in town. Everyone has contributed towards it in some small way.”

“Thank you so, so much,” Percy said, beaming. “Thank _them_ for me too, please. I’m sure whatever they’ve made for us will be absolutely _wonderful_.”

Percy’s brother Theseus jabbed him in the side. Percy was vaguely aware that he sounded enthusiastic to an unprincely degree, but he didn’t care. He had never been treated by a whole _town_ of people like he was someone to be celebrated – and a _foreign_ town, too?

Governor Adrasteia’s smile widened. “I’m sure they would prefer it if you were to thank them in person tomorrow, Your Highness. The families themselves will be serving you.”

Percy couldn’t wait for breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for all your comments! i'll try to keep the updates coming quickly from here on out. thanks for reading!
> 
> main blog @boombashkas  
> fic blog @riflesspiral


	8. Chapter 8

He was sitting at a large window-seat in the parlor a little ways away from his family, tracing the constellations in the sky with his eyes, when his mother sat down next to him.

“You already know what I’m going to say,” she said, her eyes soft.

Percy sighed. “I know, I know, I can’t put myself in danger.” He sat up. “Mom, don’t you think it would be wrong of me to ignore these people when they’re trying to give me such a warm welcome? Do you really think I should treat a whole crowd of people with suspicion because of what one person _might_ do?”

“Your father is right. It only takes one person.”

Percy shook his head in frustration. “Yes, but –“

“Hush, darling, I know what you mean.” His mother cupped his cheek. “Your father and I have discussed this and we’ve agreed that, granted you do _not_ act recklessly, we will let you express your gratitude to the people of Olympus however you want.”

Percy’s heart leaped. “Really?”

She smiled a little sadly. “Soon, they’ll be your people too. We don’t want to restrict your communication with them before it’s even begun. And it can only be a good thing for them to know how well you think of them.”

Percy hugged her, pushing his head into the crook of her neck like he used to do as a child. “There will be no replacement for Atlantis,” he insisted. “No part of it. Not its people or its food or –“ he looked up at her. “Not my family.”

His mother kissed his forehead. “I know.” She squeezed his hand. “But,” she added, “No recklessness, or we’ll have to reconsider.”

“I promise. I won’t give you any reason to complain.”

“Alright, then.” His mother stood up and dusted off her dress as if she had been tumbling in the dirt with her grandchildren. “Do you want to eat something before bed? Fruit, maybe?”

“No, thank you. I’m just going to sit here and watch the stars.”

She kissed the top of his head. “Tell me later what you see.”

As the night wore on, Percy’s family started filtering out of the room, the children yawning and rubbing their eyes, cuddling into their parents’ arms. Outside, the sentries on duty marched along the perimeter of the fort, keeping watch over the expansive plains surrounding them. But Percy didn’t even look away from the window until a servant knocked on the door with a tray of fresh fruit for him. 

He shook his head, smiling, as he popped a grape into his mouth, juice spilling over his tongue. Some things would never change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave a comment and kudos!
> 
> main blog @boombashkas  
> fic blog @riflesspiral


	9. Chapter 9

Predictably, there weren’t enough bedrooms to go around. Apparently the Katsaros family didn’t decide to have twelve children unlike Percy’s father. So they all had to room with each other, and their retinue, including Frank, would have to stay in taverns or barns, with only their personal security inside the house with them.

Percy was to share the room with Bellerophon, Kymopoleia, their wives, and Bellerophon’s children. As the youngest adult, he offered to take the floor. 

“I’ll sleep on the floor, Uncle Percy,” Bellerophon’s eldest son Peisander said to him as Percy’s bedding was being laid out. “I’m old enough.” He strengthened his jaw as he looked up at Percy.

“You’re only seven years old, kid,” Percy laughed, ruffling his hair. “The possibility of that happening while I’m perfectly capable of sleeping on the ground is exactly zero.”

“Uncle Percy, my hair!” Peisander whined, patting down his fringe.

Bellerophon’s and Kym’s wives squeezed in the bed with the children while the prince and princess themselves settled down on the two couches. “You’d better hope Philonoe and Briara don’t end up cuddling too much,” Percy joked to his brother and sister. “We might wake up to a _real_ scandal otherwise.”

Percy’s sisters-in-law burst into shocked giggles. The kids started a chorus of “What does that mean, Mom?” 

Bellerophon and Kym exchanged unimpressed looks. “Go to sleep, Percy,” Bellerophon grumbled.

Percy was happy to. He always dreamed of Jason.

**Author's Note:**

> main tumblr @boombashkas  
> fic tumblr @riflesspiral


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